Almost there...

So I am neurotic to a point, and since we have moved into a new home with new things and new everything (so it seems), I want everything to be fresh and new as well.

So that means a whole overhaul of the entire snake room.

Which also means a reorganization of the collection, of racks and supplies, of everything.

I have preliminarily gone thru and determined what is safe to let go of, and although I, being the woman that I am, am having a hard time with letting go, I am well aware that this is high time for me to do it.

Over the last few months, things have been overwhelming, and the amount of animals that I have to take care of is part of that.

Add to that the fact that babies are hatching, shows are going on, and I have to get back in gear to update the site, update e-mails, photos, information, etc...

It's a lot of work, people!

But as we are finally settling in a bit better, I am getting to the point now where I can breathe, and I can focus.

This has been very hard to do for a while now, with being pulled six ways to Sunday.

BUT! I can actually say, that other than cleaning up and doing a bit more re-org in the room, I am getting comfortable with the setup. This is a huge step in the right direction.

I realize I have been saying a bunch of nothing so far in terms of what has been going on in my season so far, but I am gearing up to it. My main concern right now is getting everyone setup and cleaned and settled in, and THEN I can take a ton of pictures and put it all on the blog.

It will happen, I promise.

Until then, have a great day, my friends.

I'm BAAACK!

Yes, I did take a week long hiatus.

Why?

Well, with everything going on, I really had to stop spreading myself so thin with stuff that wasn't particularly productive to my every day routine.

This is not to say that writing the blog isn't fun and therapeutic, but I didn't have enough time to fit it in with everything else that seemed to take more precedence.

Notice that most snake breeders do not do a daily blog, and if they do, it's not always about snakes.

This is because although snakes are awesome, there is sometimes little to be said for an animal that hasn't done much that day.

This is still true as of this morning, because even in the week that I have been away, there has really been very little to report.

I have seen many ovulations, I have a few females that I gauge to be dropping within the next few weeks, and breedings are still happening. The problem is is that on top of needing the break, I also have been having problems with my camera.

So of course, I need to go fix that as well..

Sheesh.

When it rains, it pours.

But I have a backup, and I will be sharing updated photos of critters tomorrow.

Requests, as always, are welcome and appreciated.

Thank you also for those of you who e-mailed me and asked me if I was still alive.

Yes, I am still alive!

I appreciate your concern and your dedication to reading the blog. It makes it all worthwhile.


Have a great day, my friends!

Being Sick

So my voice is back, a sexy scratchy mucous filled voice, but a voice none the less.

I have to say, this has been the second time this season that I have gotten ill, and it is NO FUN AT ALL.

I wish I could say that I took a day off to rest, and was able to clean all of the snakes and took a billion photos.

But I did not.

I just hacked my way thru my workday, coughed my way thru the evening and writing papers, and now, I am just spent.

Last night I did not even walk into the snake room.

I am ashamed of myself.

I have had time, however, to contemplate some photos and possible topics for the next few days, including the one about my photography.

I have touched on this before, and yesterday I did mention my use of the fantastic white board... I shall elaborate on this very soon.

But until then, you will have to read how much being sick sucks, which I really do believe you already know.

Thank goodness Human Colds cannot be transmitted to Snakes, although I would love to use that as the excuse as to why I didn't go into the snake room if it were true.

For the health of the animals, I'd say...

Anyway, I'm rambling.

Suggestions for topics would be appreciated, just because I am working on a few things and my energy levels are minimal for topic picking brain power. 

Have a great day, my friends.

Super Bowl Laziness

So yeah, it is the day after the Super Bowl, and I did too much other stuff and not enough snake stuff.

So what do I talk about?

How about them Giants?

I admit, I am not a Giants fan, I am a 49er fan, and since the Giants took the 49ers out of the Playoffs a few weeks ago, I was kind of bitter.

But, knowing that the Giants took it all in the end makes it rather bittersweet and palatable for me.

The 49ers lost to the team that took the Super Bowl.

I can handle that.

It doesn't make it too much easier, but it does make it a little less... painful.

The 49ers have always been my team.

I was born and grew up in San Francisco.

Here is me, a long time ago, at a game.

I am a die-hard 49er fan, but most people don't hear about it.

I don't tend to talk about Religion, Politics, or Sports, since everyone has an opinion about it, and it can tend to get a bit heated.

But of course, this is my blog, and hell, I love my team.

I am somewhat glad the Giants won, again. I have family in New York, and sure, I can root with them. They are an easier team to like than the Patriots, but that is coming from a bitter place as well. I can't tell you why I don't like the Patriots, I just don't.

And let me let you in on a little secret.

Joel is a Cowboys Fan.

Eeeewwww.

So every year, during Football Season, we are not friends.

I lie. We are. We are best friends, but not when the games are on..

I laugh at his teams misfortunes, and he refuses to touch my various 49er paraphernalia, including my big water cup. He won't touch it.

So with the weird dichotomy in our household during the Football season, I am kind of glad it's over.

Plus, next year should be a rocking year for the Niners.

WOOT!

Have a great day, my friends.

Holding Back

Well, the season has already begun, and I am already in a quandry.

I have produced several morphs that I wanted over the past few years, and of course, for the sake of the collection and projects that I am working on, I am super excited for the opportunity!

But the problem lies in the fact that holding back everything that I want is not the smartest business move on my part.

So while I admire what has just hatched out and shed and fed, I am torn by the fact that if I keep everything I want to keep, I may not have very much to sell. And this is a problem, as I am trying to keep the collection self-sustainable in terms of finances and feeding costs.

What to do, my friends? What to do???

This is a problem every year for me, because I do tend to keep everything that works to my projects back for my collection (obviously, as many other breeders do).

Tunnel vision comes to mind in this case.

And the real problem is the immediate gratification of cold hard cash in the hand, or the two or three year growth of an animal you produced producing more animals that you want/need for projects.

It's a tough call, and I am in the middle of it.

Of course, I could just wait it out (which is usually what I do) until I know what else I want to hold back, and work it that way....

Or just put things out there and see who is interested, and if the interest isn't much, just hold them back for that reason.

There are many ways to work around this issue, but it is still an issue that all breeders must face, unless they have an unlimited supply of food items and tub space, not to mention time.

And so I go into the snake room, look at the babies and try and figure out what the heck I'm gunna do.

Hopefully it will come to me soon.

Have a great day, my friends.

Food for thought...

I have to admit, I am home more often, so it allows me to watch more television.

I am somewhat ashamed of myself, but yes, I watch reality shows. 

And you want to know what I have been watching marathons of recently?

Hoarders. 

Yes, I have a shameful obsession right now watching Hoarders.

Hoarders of stuff, and Hoarders of animals...

Now this brings me to the topic I'd like to discuss...

What makes an Animal Hoarder?

 I have to say, my title with a lot of my non-reptile friends is the "Snake Lady". I have many more snakes than most people will own in their lifetimes, and I am absolutely fine with it. 

Does this make me an Animal Hoarder?

This is an interesting topic, and I have to say I had to think about it for a minute. 

Hoarders are people who CANNOT let go of animals, cannot care for themselves and their animals accordingly, and have too many animals for their own good and the good of the animals. They are people that put animals above their own well-being, but to a fault and dissolution of their lives. Emotional and physical problems in regards to the love of the animals, in loving them too much.

Now I realize that that statement is rather dramatic, and some animal hoarders are not as bad as what you would see on the television.

But here is what I have come up with to draw the line between hoarding and a breeder/hobbyist.

A hobbyist is someone who loves the animals, but will not take them for granted and will care for them as much as needed. They are people who can deal with the problems/challenges that come with owning a pet, be it food, medical, housing or physical exercise. These people are willing to do what they need to do for their animals, but will not take in more than they can handle. They care for the animals, and want the best for them, and provide that in whatever form necessary. If they cannot or choose not to care for the animals, they allow someone else to take care of them and find them new homes.

Of course, in the breeders case, they are absolutely willing to allow people to take their animals into new homes. I know I love seeing new pet owners fall in love with the animals I helped create. And of course, I try to be there for each and every person if they have any questions in regards to care of the animals. 

So there it is.

Yes, I do have many snakes. Sometimes there are days where I feel a bit overwhelmed. But, I still push on, I care for them, and I know that I am doing right by them. And if and when I can't, I know I can find someone else who can. And I am alright with that. 

But that won't be for a while still. Not while I have my health and my sanity.

So to all of you out there watching the television shows and thinking about us reptile/snake people, know that I see what you see, and what you may be thinking.

But it is not like that. 

I care for my animals, my house is clean, my animals are healthy. 

And I really feel for those Animal Hoarders out there. I can see where the love is, why they love their animals, but... there comes a point where other things should matter more.

And I know what things matter. 

The health of all of the creatures under my roof, and the love of my friends and family. 

And I'm sure that matters to you all out there too. 

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Frustrations

There are plenty of times in life where you run into a bunch of frustrations..

And I am in the middle of it.

Here we have the heat cords that I had to purchase to replace the heat cords that either went dead (cold) and/or got chewed up by a renegade rat.

Now I need to go into the room and move everything around to get the new heat cords working, as well as moving the animals around themselves. ARGH!

These are the days I am reminded how much I love my critters, cause some days it is a lot of work!

And on top of that, I am not getting much in terms of locks right now, which concerns me for the season. I'm going to be moving the males around to see if something else picks up, but right now, I'm a little worried.

Above is the only lock I caught while with the camera. Black Pastel and Spider Mojave...

But there is always a good thing to look forward to in all of this.

I got to play with my Balls.

HAH!!

And I took a photos of a new pair of animals I've had hiding.

You know how I always talk about the power of double hets?
Well, here is a new pair that I have.

What are they?

Double het VPI Axanthic Pieds.

YAY!!!

Thanks to Sam at GBU Enterprises for these beauties!

Male on the left, female on the right. Yeah, they look normal, but OH THE POSSIBILITIES!
I'm excited.

It's stuff like this and the feelings I get that get me thru some of the days of frustration.

So when in doubt, when things are getting you down, play with your Balls.

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

I need a muse

Yesterday was a day of reflection, as I have recently become a bit more free in my time. Now, this is not necessarily a problem, as I am changing directions in my professional life anyway, and have enrolled in a class that will take me in the right direction.

The problem really lies in the fact that while all of this is happening, I am not really thinking Snakes.

GASP!

NOT POSSIBLE!

Well, actually... it is.

There are of course times where things get more important than snakes. Getting married, having your first child, etc...

This is not the case in my situation, but I am having to revamp some things, which takes my mind away from snakes.

So why, Heather, are you sharing this with us?

Well, I need help. I need help getting back on track with what you all out there in blog land want to see from me.


Sometimes I guess, and sometimes I land it straight on. Sometimes I fail and get no comments from anyone for a few weeks.



Yes, breedings are happening, but I just put the males back in last night, so I couldn't use that as a highlighter.

I am still working on some videos, but not sure what topics to cover.

Cleaning and husbandry issues have been covered, but not recently, so I may draw out of that bag to see what I can share.

But, this is why I ask you, my loyal (and not so loyal) blog readers, for your requests. There are some days where my brain is fried and coming up with something is harder than pushing a rock up a mountain.

Be my muse, my friend. Be the person to tell me "Hey, I wanna hear more about THIS!"

Cause hey, I have plenty of time to highlight it.

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Who is Heather Wong?

I am pressed for time today, as I still have to pull rodents from tubs and so forth, and I had someone ask me about my path to Ball Python breeding, so I am going to share it.

It's something that I can type about with ease...


Once upon a time, long before Pastels were $100, Heather Wong was getting out of college.

I was graduating from my Alma Mater with a BS in Biology, which was done to to goal of becoming a Medical Doctor. It was something I had always found fascinating, and I felt that helping people was always my calling (I still do). I was, however, missing a few classes, but was going to take them later after a brief hiatus from school.

On top of my degree, I had begun raising animals. I had always wanted to be a Veterinarian, but as I am allergic to all manner of furry creatures, I decided for my own health that the path to Vet School was paved with misfortune.

But I had been breeding guppies, mice and hamsters on the side, just to have some respite from studying about Apoptosis and writing my Senior Project. I had found something I enjoyed, but was still having a hard time with (the fuzzies were bothering my allergies) some of the animals I was caring for.

So I moved on, and found Bearded Dragons. I loved them for their personalities and colors, so I began to invest some time in learning about breeding them. I never got far enough, as with school and with other obligations, breeding and even caring for Bearded Dragons was becoming too much. (Feeding 10 dragons twice a day while studying the functions of the Kidneys was not something I was interested in doing).

So, I rehomed all of the Beardies. I had already acquired my first Ball Python by then, Unagi, and decided to invest in a Ball Python Morph. Back then, Pastels were the bees knees, and were four digits of expense. So, I broke down and bought my first Morph, a Pastel Male.

I then looked into it as a possible venture, and saw that there were many other morphs to be had. I wanted them all, so I invested again in a rack. I got a Boaphile Rack, and the rest is history.

Fast forward to the present, and I have over 200 animals, at least 10 professionally made racks, many thermostats and heat sources, and a room that I never thought I would be needing more space in (but I do).

And even now, I need more space and time to get things where I really want them, but this current situation is a far cry from what I started out as.

Did I ever think I would spend more than $5k on a snake? No way...

Did I ever think I would be able to sell a snake for more than $5k? No way...

I didn't get into it for that. I got into it as a collector and hobbyist. I wanted pretty snakes and fun colors to play with and breed for more pretty fun colored snakes.

I feel that I am a bit beyond that as of now, but I still feel that the passion for the animals and their beauty surpass anything else that I do, in terms of shows, etc. I love sharing the joy that I have for my animals with the people who do so as well. It's just so much FUN!

Anyway, I currently work full time as a Chemist, partially to fund my snake habit, and partially to get my butt in gear to actually take the classes I intended to do back in the day. I am actually in the process of trying to get into the classes I need to get my Masters.

Wish me luck!!! I'm gonna need it, as there is a huge demand for the classes I need, so competition is fierce.

But, until then, I will be doing the snake thing, doing the Chemistry thing, and doing the domestic thing. I am slowly getting wedding planning in gear, but since we have a lot of time left (getting married in 2012), I'm not too worried.

But the snake thing? That is always the most fun.


Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Wholesalers, Flippers and Breeders: The differences

This one is for a friend of mine who asked me to touch on this last week.

Let us go over what Flippers, Wholesalers, and Breeders are.

Definitions are somewhat different, and sometimes overlap, but I will try and make it clear enough for you to determine on your own who you know and what to label them as.

Breeders.

You and I know what this means. These are the people who spend the time to raise their breeders, feed them, care for them, and breed them selectively (usually) to produce animals that they feel are good quality and healthy.

They tend to hold on to animals for future projects, and keep records as to who does what when, as well as what they intend to do with animals that they produced. It's a viscous beautiful cycle, and the breeder loves it. That's the passion and the drive that keeps them doing what they are doing.

Animals produced are produced for a reason, and the babies are what they know they are (usually, exceptions being dinkers).

These are the people making the snakes.


Wholesalers..

These guys are the ones that buy excess animals for whatever reason.

Breeders make 100 normals, and although it is awesome to see the babies pop out, they are not needed in future projects, so they are sold to wholesalers or pet stores to supply the pet trade.

Pet stores are somewhat of a wholesaler, but in a different category, in my opinion. They are the ones that are selling to Joe Shmoe, and can (if they have the resources) teach Mister Joe about the care and husbandry that they are familiar with.

Now wholesalers buy up whatever morphs or "leftovers" that a breeder or hobbyist wants to move and sells them for a profit. This is somewhat of a grey area, as this entails not knowing completely the history behind the snakes that they are selling. Some wholesalers care, some do not. The distinction is in the specific person wholesaling.

Do they back up the animal with a guarantee? Depends...
Pet Stores usually do, Wholesalers, it depends.

This is a not so clear area of sellers in the reptile trade. Some are good, some are not so good.
It is up to you to determine what you feel comfortable with.


Flippers...

This is a bad word in some circles of the reptile world. Why? Well, these guys are the people that take animals from breeders and flip them for profit. How quickly? It really depends on the person and the animal, but usually this is only a month or two, maybe even less.

If the animal is sick or not in optimal health, the flipper more than likely doesn't even notice. They are just out to move the animal quickly and for a profit. The longer they have the animal, the less profit they make. Flip it!

Now again, this is a grey area, depending on who you are talking about. Some people actually take the time to care about the animal and where it was produced, what the morph/locality is, etc... Most do not, which is why being a "flipper" is again, a bad word.


Now how do you tell who you are buying from and what you are getting?

Do your homework.

Do they have a good reputation? Have they been around long enough? Does the price seem too good to be true? Can they show you parental lineage? Can they vouch for the health of the animal and how long it has been in their care?

All things you as a consumer/customer have to determine in your own comfort zone where you want to be.

If you don't care that the person selling the animal can't tell you what the parents were, then by all means, buy from a wholesaler/flipper.

But remember this, these people are in it more for the profit than for the animal most of the time.
(I do not want to make generalizations because I know there are some people out there that are not.)

Money is always nice, but for peace of mind, would you rather save $100 and possibly lose the animal and your money, or buy from a breeder that can help you in the future if something goes wrong?

Again, things to think about.

This blog is not meant to sway you one way or the other, as I am trying to be as unbiased as I can under the circumstances.

Like I said before, I have sold to wholesalers, and I still would love to know that my animals, albeit not being sold by me, are getting good homes in the end.

So the final thing to take away from this is, do your homework, try not to just look at the dollar signs. If that is your only focus, you are in the wrong industry.


Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Still somewhat unplugged

I'm here... but not really.

It's been a trying couple of days already, and I am just now catching up. I'm in the process of firing my internet provider, and getting a new one, which has resulted in a capful of grey hairs to say the least.

I have been having a busy couple of days, and not without problems, so I'm trying to sort those out before anything else.

PLUS, Kody's Expo in Long Beach is this weekend, so I have to get show prep going on.

So I am out of it today.

I promise to get something up that is interesting and entertaining for tomorrow's blog.
Any requests? I am not sure where to begin...

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Another week goes by....

And I haven't gotten half of what I wanted to get done, done.

I am really rather annoyed with that prospect.

I have not been able to set up tubs for the newly shed animals yet, I have not been able to get everyone completely cleaned up and ready for photos, I have just not had enough time to do everything I want to get done.

There needs to be more hours in the day, my friends.

And this is not to say that I am neglecting my animals... oh no, that is not the case at all.

I just don't have enough time to take photos and come up with clever ideas for the blog as much recently, and I apologize profusely. I hope I am not boring you all to death out there in internet land.

This weekend my Mother, the Smoj, is coming into town. I hope to be able to have things relatively set up and clean by then, but it seems like, due to summer and every weekend being full of fun things to do, I may not get a chance.

But she's my mother. I'm sure I'll get a tongue lashing if it isn't.

Motivation, then?

Yes indeed.

I just need to see where I can squeeze in the time.

Is it just me that has this problem? I kinda hope not.

I know you all know that I work full time on top of the snake stuff. I usually manage very well to have a good balance between the two, as they are both full time jobs.

Plus, it being summer, BBQs and Parties, and fun things to do, places to go, people to see, THAT, my friends, is where the problem really is.

Bring on the Fall, baby.

Fall is my favorite season, actually. Not too hot, not too cold, and the leaves change, people get cuddly, things are calmer and more enjoyable.

And tomorrow is Daytona, the beginning of the Reptile Show circuit. I look forward to being able to report back with some photos from other people that I know are going (if I can count on them to share photos with me), and have some info to share.

This is not guaranteed, however, as it is mainly dependent on other people... And I'm sure you know how that works out.

Let us hope.

I will, however, be attempting a trip to Tinley this year again. I am trying my damndest to make it happen.

I will be taking time to get into the snake room and take some photos, move snakes around, update the available page (which I am absolutely aware is lacking), and get things GOING, my friends.

Again, I apologize for the delay. Life tends to get in the way sometimes...



Have a fantastic weekend, my friends.

The Blog

Well, I have been doing this blog every day during the work week for at least two years now, and I have to say, its been a lot of fun.

I've met a lot of people thru it, and I am honored that so many people actually care enough about what I have to say to be one of the Blogs Followers.

So I made a promise to myself that I would get 100 followers this year by making this blog 10x more interesting and fun and educational.

Problem is, where to begin!

I am thinking about starting from the beginning again. Touching on topics I have touched on before, sharing more photos of morphs and answering questions when they come up in person or online.

It won't be easy, but it is a task I am willing to undertake. I am also aware that many people think I should do a video blog occasionally. I am still working on that.

I have listened, I do plan on making some changes, and hopefully it will be for the better.

I am also doing some spring cleaning (summer cleaning actually) in terms of projects that I need to focus on, the animals that I can work with, and so forth.

Today was a revelation of sorts, to get myself in gear again for what will be an amazing show season and year.

I wrote out a list of everything that could possibly go next season for me, what I am interested in picking up for next season, the animals that I could move to make space for others, and etc.

It is a tad bit overwhelming.

Planning ones season when the current one isn't even over yet is rather audacious, but necessary.

I need to get myself in gear.

100 Followers, a more streamlined collection, and a great outlook for the next season.

It will happen, my friends.

It will.

Help me help you, and it will happen.


Have a fantastic day.

Responsibilities

I'm going to be honest here.

There are days when I just don't want to deal.

Yesterday was hot and I was tired from work, and just beat.

It was like 5000000 degrees in the house, and in the snake room, 5000000 x 2.

Now I realize I am being overly dramatic, but I want to make a point.

I went in there, and I spent 3 hours cleaning and watering everyone.

It was not fun.

It was not enjoyable.

I almost got bit several times.

I was sweating like crazy. 5000000 degrees is not a pleasant experience.

But I did it.

The snakes can't do it themselves, and I don't have much help. It's just me and them.

And I, and you, can never forget that.

I'm sure your own snakes have you and only you as well.

Responsibilities.

Sometimes its rough, but its something we as pet owners have to deal with.

So basically, I did it, but I didn't get any motivation to write anything interesting other than to remind you and myself that you gotta do what you gotta do.

So there you go.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have something more interesting to share. And it won't be 5000000 degrees.

Cutting eggs, maybe.

Yeah, that sounds good.

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

It's Good Friday, and I'm tired

So, it's Friday, the last day of the work week, and I am tired.

I have plenty of things to do this weekend, and lots of plans for things.

It is Good Friday as well.

Does that mean it will be good? I hope so!

I feel like these past few weeks I've been rushing thru things, and trying to get things in order.

I admit that I have yet to plug in the incubator, but they are in the house finally (covered in spiders...EWWWWWW. Joel had to clean them off)

I will address the incubator issue on Monday, I think.

As well as other things, if you so request.

If you can't tell, I am searching hard for things to talk about, but I honestly am very tired and can't come up with anything clever right now.

But I have to say, It would be rocking if I could get some Easter Eggs.

And if you out there in internet land get Easter eggs this Sunday, you'll have to let me know.

So I'm done rambling again, and I hope you have a fantastic weekend as well as a joyous and blessed Easter. Lets see some eggs, dangit.

Random Ramblings from an Impatient Breeder

I am getting tired of waiting for eggs.

Now, this is only based on the fact that I frequent many Ball Python forums, and I keep seeing people with eggs.

Lots of eggs.

And it always seems like Southern California is the last group to get eggs and breedings, as the temperatures here are more moderate, and winters are very mild.

I have to say that I don't regret living in Southern California, but I would love to get eggs sooner.

I am impatient for something to happen, and I worry that you, my loyal blog readers, are getting tired of my random ramblings about random animals and events instead of the real deal in terms of what is going on breeding here at Heather's Herps.

I've been watching and waiting for something more exciting to happen, but so far, its been a lot of Ovulations and no real eggs.

This means, of course, that the end of April will be very active, but until then.... I am not sure what we are going to do!

Fluffy is an entertaining source, but I fed her crickets, and got completely creeped out.

So yeah...

Eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

So until I get eggs, I would love to hear some suggestions in terms of things I can approach in the blog over the next few weeks.

Have a great day, my friend!!!

Goals and Aspirations

This weekend has been an interesting one for me, one that has caused me to rethink a few things, and put myself in a position that I am usually not in.

In five years, or ten years, or twenty years, what do I plan on doing and want to be doing with my life?

I would like to settle down, get married,  have some kids, finish up my career goals, and those seem to be the goals that are easily set and will happen soon enough.


The one thing I don't know for sure is in terms of the snakes.

One thing is for certain.

I will still have Ball Pythons.

BUT... with all the planning that I have in terms of future projects, future animals to own, future everything, it is limited to a few years in scope.

What about in twenty years?

What animals will I have combined to make what?

Can you imagine the combinations that will be available then? What about the market, and the subsequent base morphs that come out of it? Will we be, like some people say, like the Corn Snake Market, flooded with $25 snakes? This I doubt, but I may be eating my words in time.

So, without seeing into the future, I think I am set on these few things.

-I will make a combination that will take at least two recessives and at least two co-doms combined. I don't know what yet, but Spinner Snows sound like a great idea at this point.

-I will have a bigger snake room with a better set up in a larger facility.

-Marty Cohen will still be with me.

-I will try and keep up with the blog (We shall see on this one)


So there it is. With everything else surrounding life, those things I have my eyes set on. My eyes on the prize so to speak.

Now that I have shared mine, I hope that it has made you think of yours... These ball pythons live a long time. Twenty years is a drop in the bucket for them...

Are you prepared for your goals and your animals?


Have a great day, my friends!

Rambling about breeding

I've pretty much figured out that I am not as prepared this season as I was last year.

Last year, I had goals that I had set out and less worry about what I needed to do with what animals. I had a page out of what was going to be paired up with what down in my snake room, on the wall.

This year, I didn't get around to doing that.

Why, do you ask?

Well, I have to say I had other things that were more pressing. Life tends to give you lemons once in a while.

So, my snake pairings were not at the forefront of my mind.

Why does that really matter, Heather? You are putting males in with females and stuff.. Why are you complaining?

Well, my friends, I don't like being disorganized.

ESPECIALLY when baby snakes that are hets for things, or maybe not so much can be tossed around.

PLUS, with females that I don't have plans for but should makes me antsy and annoyed.

So I really need to buckle down and write things out.

But with things getting busy again over here, I have not much time to sit out and write out everyones breeding plans.

I'm trying to get a computer program to share with you guys as well as be more organized on the website, but it seems to take a while to find the right program and software.

Hopefully I can get that up and running sooner rather than later. That way, I can feel more confident in this season, cause right now, I feel like a chicken with my head cut off.

I'm sorry for the rambling, and lack of photos of breedings. I tend to miss the locks when I have the camera out, or I am cleaning and it doesn't cross my mind to break out the camera.

So this is a promise that I am getting into the real groove, trying to get my act together, and that I will have many more photos to share.

If you wanna see something, let me know! I do take your requests very seriously.

Have a fantastic day, my friends.